Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
by Nancy J. Lisse
Summary: An early holiday treat to get us all in the holiday spirit!  Entry for the Chit Chat on Author's Corner - Fanfic Challenge 2010 - Round 6.  This is my gift for Bouncing off the walls again.  Hope you all enjoy!


Hello everyone, and happy early holidays!

For the Chit Chat on Author's Corner - FanFic Challenge 2010 - Round 6 - Christmas Gift Fic Exchange

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. AU.

Pairing: Hotch/Emily  
Song: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree  
Items: (I think there were supposed to be three, but I only received two in my description) a Santa hat and snow

My Christmas gift fanfic is for: Bouncing off the walls again. I hope you like it!

Enjoy!

* * *

It was a white Christmas.

The first one he could remember, and boy, was it amazing. There's just something spectacular about waking up Christmas morning and seeing the snowflakes fall silently to the ground.

No matter how old you are.

Everything was covered with the soft, white snow.

Aaron Hotchner gazed out the window at the simple, yet breathtaking sight. He couldn't think of anything more beautiful.

_Okay, well maybe that was a lie, _he thought as he turned away from the window.

Finding his way back to his king-size bed in the dim light, he spoke out loud to himself.

"I can think of two things."

His eyes settled on the opposite side of the mattress where two forms lay sleeping.

A beautiful little girl was curled up tightly in her mother's arms. Her dark hair, mimicking her mother's, fell messily across her face, fluttering as she breathed.

A small voice pulled him back from his reverie.

"Daddy?" she asked sleepily. She rubbed at her eyes as she sat up, untangling herself from the mess of sheets.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

He waited while she yawned. And then realization hit her and the sleepy look vanished from her features.

Nothing short of excitement and awe replaced it.

"Santa!" she exclaimed.

And then she was gone.

She slid off the bed and onto the floor, and disappeared out the bedroom door. Hotch laughed as her clumsy little feet were moving too fast for her, almost tripping over the rug.

Despite the commotion, Emily Prentiss remained asleep on the bed.

Hotch went to move back to the window, wanting to give his wife a few more moments of rest before waking her, but an excited shriek resonated throughout the house.

Yup, Santa had definitely been here.

.

.

.

Emily sat up slowly, attempting to rub the sleep from her eyes.

Bright light streamed into the room as Hotch opened the blinds on all the windows.

"Good morning," she said through a yawn. "What are you doing?"

"It's snowing," he responded.

Emily pushed off her covers and padded her way over to her husband. She wrapped her arms around his waist, placing soft kisses on his shoulder.

"A white Christmas…" she said between kisses. "It's beautiful."

"Third most beautiful thing in the world."

She smiled.

"Oh? Third to what?"

She played along, despite already knowing what he was going to say.

"Kylie, of course."

"And…" she egged him on.

"That painting your mother gave us for our anniversary," he grinned over his shoulder.

"Hey!"

He hollered in mock pain as Emily swatted his arm.

"Okay! Okay!" Hotch turned to her. "You win. I lied. Kylie… and Max."

The pair looked over to the far corner of the room. Huddled in a ball was their two year-old bulldog, Max. Heavy snoring and the occasional 'yip' confirmed that the puppy was still sleeping and dreaming. Drool dripped off his cheeks. A puddle was starting to form on the hardwood floor, spreading by the minute.

They both laughed as the dog sneezed. A snot bubble popped on his nose.

"You're right. No way I can compete with that."

Hotch laughed again and then leaned in for a kiss.

"And Jack?" she questioned.

"Babe, he's almost thirteen. I think he'd be offended if I called him beautiful. You, on the other hand…"

He kissed her again.

She responded to his lips against hers. Immediately she felt weak at the knees.

He was the only man who could ever make her feel that way.

The kiss quickly made its way from gentle to wanting. He walked her backwards, not once breaking their lip-lock.

Feeling the bed against the back of her bare legs, she let herself fall, Hotch guiding them both gently onto the mattress.

The heat of the moment was interrupted, however, by Kylie's gasps of joy from the living room.

"A dolly! Yay!"

Hotch placed one final kiss on Emily's lips.

"I guess she got tired of waiting."

.

.

.

Wrapping paper covered the carpet, crunching under the little feet running over it.

Kylie was too excited to eat breakfast, but her mother managed to persuade her to have a banana.

"Jack?" she questioned.

"Jack will be here soon honey," Emily responded as her daughter took a bite of the fruit and then wandered away.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Emily answered and ushered Jack and his mother into the house.

Emily swore he looked more and more like his father every day.

Jack kicked off his shoes and kissed his mother goodbye. He pulled two Santa hats out of his backpack and then discarded the bag on the floor as well.

"Jack!" a little voice exclaimed from around the other side of the Christmas tree.

"Kylie! Merry Christmas! Was Santa good to you?" he rushed over to his little sister and picked her up.

Holding the three year-old in one arm, Jack placed one of the Santa hats on her head and the other on his own head.

Kylie laughed and wrapped her arms around her brother's neck, holding tight.

Emily and Hailey stood at the door and watched the interaction between them.

Hailey put her hand on Emily's shoulder.

"She's beautiful Emily. Looks just like you."

Emily thanked her and gestured to Hailey's slight baby bump.

"Did you find out the sex yet?" Emily asked.

"It's a boy," Hailey gleamed. "We went yesterday."

"Oh, how exciting, just in time for Christmas. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Congratulations Hailey," Hotch repeated as he entered from the kitchen, apron and all.

He carried a plate of cookies with him and handed it to Hailey as he leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"For you and Ben. I hope he likes chocolate chip," he smiled.

"Yes. Thank you Aaron. Or Emily?"

"Cookies are definitely not my specialty," Emily grinned.

The three adults continued in conversation for a few more minutes before they exchanged goodbyes.

Emily congratulated her again as she left.

.

.

.

Jack was opening his last gift when Kylie got tired of watching other people open presents.

She stood up and grabbed her new doll. Moseying into the kitchen, she had finally calmed down enough to want to eat.

The house was quite messy, colorful paper strewn everywhere, toys stacked in toppling piles, dishes left sitting on the kitchen table. Before she began cleaning, Emily turned on the television, flipping through the stations for something to listen to.

Singing filled the house as she settled on a channel playing Christmas music. The sound of sleigh bells accompanied the song that was currently playing.

The song ended, and then faded into a new one.

"_Rockin' around the Christmas tree, at the Christmas party hop…"_

It only got through its first line before Kylie leaped out of her chair, leaving her breakfast half eaten at the table with the rest of the discarded dishes.

"Hannah Montana!" she yelled.

Her hands flew wildly and she wiggled her diaper-clad bum along with the beat.

"Honey, this song is too old for it to be Hann-," Hotch began, laying food out for the dog.

"It is her, dad," Jack said. "She performed it last year I think."

"_Everyone dancing merrily, in the new old-fashioned way…"_

"Really?" he responded, rather dejected.

Emily giggled at Hotch's unenthusiastic sigh. She knew he wasn't the biggest fan of the teenybopper pop star.

He was all about the classics. Today's youth and their music would always be a mystery to him.

Hotch looked to his wife, sitting at the table, picking at their daughter's food. Apparently abandoning her attempt at straightening up.

"Is nothing sacred?" he asked her.

Emily just grinned and shook her head.

"_Have a happy holiday everyone!"_

**

* * *

**So, I took some creative liberties here, by creating my own little universe where Hailey is very much alive. I just wanted everyone to be happy for the holidays, so everyone is getting along!

I hope you enjoyed it, especially Bouncing off the walls again - this one's for you!

And I kinda took a shot at Miley Cyrus here! So no hard feelings Miley fans!

Hope everyone has a good holiday season.

Reviews are like my Christmas presents!


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